Indeed, the tin is nice, but I've found metal straightedges to be considerably superior to plastic. And compasses which used their own lead as opposed to gripping a pencil tended to be superior as well, albeit slightly inconvenient. At least the compass doesn't use one of those finncky screw-locking mechanisms. Ah, memories.

For maths teachers (sorry, math, I'm in the UK where the tin is sold) this is the worst thing a student can buy.2 set squares and a stencil, none of which they need; a tiny pencil, when they need a decent HB for all their drawing; and a tiny ruler when they need 30cm (12 inches) for most construction work.In UK exams, they are not allowed the tin, as all equipment must be in a clear pencilcase.Shops sell it for anywhere between £4 and £10, while at my school for £2 ($3.41) we sell a large pencilcase with everything they do need, and it's allowed in exams. It's a fool parent who shells out for this retro rubbish.